Behaviors - taming the beast?
Behaviors - can you "tame the beast?" "Social imprinting" is very important, especially with high content wolfdogs. The sooner the pups are pulled from the mother and raised by the better. They need to form a bond with humans as early as possible. This helps in having a wolfdog that is not fearful of humans and becomes used to being around humans at an early age. With the high contents in particular, the window for forming a strong bond with "their human" is a short one. At about 3 weeks, pups can move right into the human world and domestic life without all the stress that a pup who makes the transition at a later age will experience. The pup should also be exposed to other dogs during this period too in order to avoid becoming "humanized": the pup must learn that s/he is a dog. This window of imprinting lasts until about 5 weeks. It then begins to decline steadily and fear or caution of the unfamiliar replace it. Many behaviors exhibited by wolfdogs are also found in standard dog breeds as well. The difference is that the higher the content, the more intense certain behaviors become. Combine some of those behaviors and wolfdogs can be very challenging - not uncontrollable, just challenging. Northern breed dogs are notorious for escaping their containment and running loose. Wolfdogs are known to be escape artists too, but chances are, they won't come home until they are good and ready, no matter how much you chase or try to coax them with high value treats. Most dogs have prey drive to some extent, and with wolfdogs, that too can be even more intense. Higher content wolfdogs may not do well with smaller animals or small children: the noises and quick movements may startle them. High pitched sounds (screaming, meowing, yapping) may sound like an animal in distress to a wolfdog. Wolfdogs get bored easily. They need stimulation, enrichment, and room to run in order to stay happy. Most need a companion as well, so if you decide to get a wolfdog, you probably should think ahead to having at least 2 dogs. Most wolfdogs, and probably no high contents, are going to be house dogs. While some may do well while supervised indoors, they are going to be happier outdoors where they can run and play - and dig and chew. Crate training when they are young is good - when they are young. As they mature, they may no longer enjoy the confinement of the crate and will do everything they can to get out of it. Pillows and couches become items they want to investigate to see what is in there. Floors and walls can be torn to shreds to see what's under it or behind it - or just because they are bored. Some behaviors can be corrected. In most cases, the correcting is in the form of correcting your own behavior. Don't leave them in the house. Give them plenty of things to chew on. Give them something to climb on. Take them on long walks. Spend time with them. Teach them simple commands when they are young and continue practicing them as they mature. Some may "forget" commands they have learned, and some may only do them when they want to - it's in thier nature. Positive reinforcement helps them learn and retain. Ignore the negative, reward the positive. Many people take a "nothing for free" method with thier wolfdogs. Any time they want attention or food, they have to do something for it: sit, lie down, etc. before they recieve anything. They soon learn who is the "giver of good things" and what they have to do in order to receive those good things.